Eggplant Parmesan

Tonight’s recipe from Raddish Kids culminated in a very special event – a dinner date with Daddy!

But first, Travis and I needed to cook. “Is this our next Raddish?” he asks excitedly now when I invite him to join me in the kitchen. This particular Eggplant Parmesan was the vegan replacement to the kit’s Chicken Parmesan. I briefly considered using a chicken filet such as Gardein, but decided we’d stay true to Raddish’s dietary modifications, since they so considerately include one for every recipe.

First, I sliced a 1-pound eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices. Travis was in charge of placing these on a paper towel, quite proud to do so.

We salted both sides of the eggplant using a scant 2 teaspoons salt (Note: This meant we later omitted the salt when it would have been added to the chicken). Let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, we prepped three bowls. Into the first went 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

We made three flax eggs in the second bowl. Travis loved whisking! The final bowl received 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs and 2/3 cup vegan Parmesan sprinkles. Travis mixed the ingredients together, pretending they were potions or medicines.

He loved the 3-step breading technique that followed. The eggplant first went into the flour mixture, then in the flax eggs, and finally in the breaded topping.

We arranged these slices on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and coated in cooking spray.

Top each eggplant slice with 2 tablespoons marinara sauce. We had previously whipped up a quick homemade batch, using Raddish’s recipe: